Here’s why Laith needs your help

Since he joined Amnesty International’s Jerusalem regional office in 2017, our friend and colleague Laith has taken enormous risks to protect the rights of others.

In 2019, we discovered that Israel banned Laith from travelling abroad for unknown ‘security reasons’. We believe that Israel is punishing him for his human rights work. Laith’s case reflects the wider pattern of attacks against human rights defenders in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and it is another chilling signal of Israel’s growing intolerance of critical voices.

For Palestinians living in the OPT, a travel ban means being completely trapped indefinitely, with no way to leave.

Laith has had a difficult year, his mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and had to go to a nearby hospital for treatment. Laith, however, was denied a humanitarian permit and couldn’t be with her during the treatment. Sadly, his mother passed away and Laith was not able to be at her bedside. Laith has hope that with the support of people like you, he will once again be able to travel and defend the rights of others.

Laith is a brave human rights defender who has dedicated his time and effort to support those in need, now we need to help him. With enough pressure, we hope that we can get the Israeli authorities to lift the arbitrary ban before a court hearing on 31 May. We don’t have a lot of time, and every single action counts.

Even though I am facing this restriction on my freedom, I am more encouraged than ever to protect human rights. With your help I know I can keep going. Thank you.

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